Please submit your completed application to Ms. Whipple in Main Building Room 101 by May 1, 2018.

The Pebblebrook Debate Squad (PDS) is an excellent opportunity to work with a community of scholars where you learn, are empowered and equipped to advocate or speak about issues that are important to you! This is a necessary life skill and can help you to make a profound and positive impact in the world. Our official debate season runs from August 2017-March 2018. Debate practices will held weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. Our tournament days are held monthly on Saturdays at various locations around the Atlanta metro area. (The tournament time is from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm). PDS is a proud member of the Atlanta Urban Debate League. As a member we do have a membership fee that will be paid for through fundraising and student dues. Club fees for this year will be $35.00 due by August 15, 2018. You will receive supplies and be provided complimentary meal during Debate tournaments. Please review their website for more information: http://www.atlantadebate.org/AUDL Tournament Dates 2017-2018September 23- High School Opener hosted by Pebblebrook High SchoolOctober 21- Middle and High School Location TBDNovember 11 - Middle and High School Location TBDDecember 9 - Middle and High School Location TBDJanuary 20 - Middle and High School Location TBDFebruary 17 - Middle and High School Location TBDMarch 3 –John Lewis @Emory UniversityMarch 24- High School State @GSU​

debate Topic 2017-2018

We participate in policy debate. So there is one topic that is discussed for the entire debate season! Our new read about our new debate topic below:​Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its funding and/or regulation of elementary and/or secondary education in the United States.

United States students do not rank well compared to their peers from other countries. Achievement gaps also exist between children from different ethnic groups and between affluent and low-income students. Are the schools at fault, or are other issues to blame? What changes in funding, regulations, standards, or support for our schools will bring better results? Do we need more teachers, higher teacher pay, uniform teacher standards, and/or smaller class sizes? Will more money for technology improve teaching? Do we need more flexibility to employ and develop different types of schools? Do we need more flexibility within our public schools? What will bring up graduation rates and help United States students compete internationally? How can we prepare and train the future United States workforce? This resolution will provide a balanced field to discuss these important education issues. The affirmative teams will have the ability to critically examine everything from charter schools to online programs to for-profit schools. There is flexibility to argue for or against K-12 in traditional schools versus more specialized schools. Each area of the country has substantially different standards and rules. This topic allows students to examine those differences and how the federal government can improve education across the board. Negative ground includes arguments from traditional policy options such as federalism, States CP, other agent counterplans, solvency deficits as to whether the affirmative is affecting a large enough scope to solve, spending DAs, politics scenarios, etc. Critical literature is also applicable to the wide variety of presumptions within our government and education systems.​